From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   September 14th - St. Notburga   
      
   Saint Notburga, also known as Notburga of Rattenburg or Notburga of Eben, (c.   
   1265-September 16, 1313) is an Austrian saint from modern Tyrol. She is the   
   patron saint of servants and peasants.   
      
   Notburga was a cook in the household of Count Henry of Rottenburg, and used to   
   give food to the poor. But Ottilia, her mistress, ordered her to feed any   
   leftover food to the pigs. To continue her mission, Notburga began to save some   
   of her own food, especially on Fridays, and brought it to the poor. According   
   to   
   her legend, one day her master met her and commanded her to show him what she   
   was carrying. She obeyed but instead of the food he saw only shavings, and   
   instead of wine, vinegar. As a result of Notburga's actions, Ottilia dismissed   
   her, but soon fell dangerously ill. Notburga remained to nurse her and prepared   
   her for death.   
      
   Next, Notburga worked for a peasant in Eben am Achensee, on the condition that   
   she be permitted to go to church evenings before Sundays and festivals. One   
   evening her master urged her to continue working in the field. Throwing her   
   sickle into the air she supposedly said: "Let my sickle be judge between me and   
   you," and the sickle remained suspended in the air. In the meantime, Count   
   Henry   
   had suffered difficulties, which he ascribed to his dismissal of Notburga, so   
   he   
   rehired her. Shortly before her death she is said to have told her master to   
   place her corpse on a wagon drawn by two oxen and to bury her wherever the oxen   
   stood still. The oxen drew the wagon to the chapel of St. Rupert near Eben,   
   where she was buried.   
      
   Notburga's cult was ratified on March 27, 1862, and her feast is celebrated on   
   September 14. She is usually represented with an ear of corn, or flowers and a   
   sickle in her hand; sometimes the sickle is suspended in the air.   
      
   This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of   
   1913.   
      
      
   Quote:   
   Learned men and great scholars have devoted great effort and prolonged study to   
   the Holy Scriptures... employing the gifts which God gives to every person who   
   has the use of reason. This knowledge is good... but it does not bring with it   
   any spiritual experience of God, for these graces are granted only to those who   
   have a great love for Him. This fountain of love issues from our Lord alone,   
   and   
   no stranger may approach it. But knowledge of this kind is common to good and   
   bad alike, since it can be acquired without love, ... and men of a worldly life   
   are sometimes more knowledgeable than many true Christians although they do not   
   possess this love. St. Paul describes this kind of knowledge: "If I had full   
   knowledge of all things and knew all secrets, but had no love, I should be   
   nothing." Some people who possess this knowledge become proud and misuse it in   
   order to increase their personal reputation, worldly rank, honours and riches,   
   when they should use it humbly to the praise of God and for the benefit of   
   their   
   fellow Christians in true charity. St. Paul says of this kind of knowledge:   
   "Knowledge by itself stirs the heart with pride, but united to love it turns to   
   edification." By itself this knowledge is like water, tasteless and cold. But   
   if   
   those who have it will offer it humbly to our Lord and ask for His grace, He   
   will turn the water into wine with His blessing.   
   - Walter Hilton, The Scale of Perfection   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   1 And Jesus passing by, saw a man, who was blind from his birth: 2 And his   
   disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he   
   should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his   
   parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must   
   work   
   the works of him that sent me, whilst it is day: the night cometh, when no man   
   can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.   (John   
   9:1-5)   
      
      
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   During this month of September which gives us the exaltation   
   of the Holy Cross on the fourteenth, it traditionally is a month   
   devoted to that sacred tree.  The following are three prayers in   
   honor of the Cross of Christ:   
      
   The Cross is my sure salvation. The Cross it is that I worship   
   evermore. The Cross of our Lord is with me. The Cross is my   
   refuge.   
   -St. Thomas Aquinas   
      
      
   Assist us, O Lord our God; and defend us evermore by the   
   might of Thy holy Cross, in whose honor Thou makest us to   
   rejoice.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.   
   - from the Roman Missal   
      
   O God, Who didst will to hallow the standard of the life-giving   
   Cross by the Precious Blood of Thine only-begotten Son; grant,   
   we beseech Thee, that they who rejoice in honoring the same   
   holy Cross, may rejoice also in Thine ever-present protection.   
   Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.   
   -Also from the Roman Missal   
      
   Imprimatur: + Francis Spellman, Archbp. of New York, May 30, 1951.   
      
      
   **Don't forget to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)